The nature of the valley

Breathing in world heritage together

Pindar described Akragas as the most beautiful city of mortals. Only the ruins of the monumental architecture of Agrigento have reached us, which in some cases, although well preserved, are but a pale shadow of what they would have looked like originally.
On the other hand, the splendid landscape that surrounded the site, imbued with nature and history, remains intact thanks to the efforts of the Archaeological and Landscape Park of the Valley of the Temples.
Today the local community is fully involved in its protection, so much so that citizens and inhabitants of the area have taken the fields under concession in order to look after and cultivate them, meaning they all work together to help develop the shared cultural heritage.
A few years ago, the magical gardens of Kolymbetra , now managed by the Italian Environment Fund (FAI), underwent a restoration project that returned them to the area’s inhabitants, and every year the Almond Blossom Festival is held within the Archaeological Park to enhance the many almond trees in the park that live in perfect symbiosis with the ruins of Akragas.
Last year, the Festival was enriched by the presence of folklore group representatives of UNESCO Intangible Heritage from different parts of the world, becoming a fundamental meeting point between tangible and intangible world heritage.

Breathing in world heritage together

The theatre of origins

Vegetation in the Gardens

Politics comparison: Akragas and Agrigentum

The gods of Agrigento

The life of young people in Roman times

Cicero’s account: Agrigentum in In Verrem

The ancient port of Agrigentum

Moments of leisure: the theatre

Mens sana in corpore sano: the gymnasium of Agrigento

The domus, guardians of private life

The forum in the city of the Akragantines

The Hellenistic-Roman quarter

An exceptional discovery: the thermal baths of Agrigentum

Roman affairs

Works for the muses: the mosaics of the Hellenistic-Roman quarter

The tomb of Theron

The Punic Wars and the final conquest of Akragas

The centre of politics in Agrigentum

The Roman necropolis

The Kolymbetra Garden

The Living Almond Museum

A Sanctuary for the Latin gods

From Akragas to Agrigentum

The cult of the Emperor

The Oratory of Phalaris

The Romans settle in Agrigentum

Hellenistic heritage on the streets of Agrigentum

The driver of Agrigentum’s well-being

The provincial layout of Sicily

The wellness centres of the Romans

The sarcophagus of the Child